There is nothing to write home about the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) performance in the first half of 2026, with just one launch in January, the PSLV-C62 mission/EOS-N1 mission that ended in a failure.
However, on the positive side, the anomaly in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) seems to have been resolved with the space agency gearing up for a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission in July, followed by a PSLV in the subsequent months.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said that the anomaly in the PSLV, which suffered two back-to-back setbacks has been resolved.
On January 12, 2026, the PSLV-C62 mission carrying the EOS-N1 earth observation satellite failed to complete its intended trajectory after an anomaly was detected during the end of the third stage of the launch vehicle and on May 18, 2025, while ISRO attempted to launch the EOS-09 satellite aboard the PSLV-C61 mission, it couldn’t complete it. It was also due to an anomaly in the third stage of the rocket.
The Union Minister said that the national-level expert committee constituted to review the reason for the anomaly in the PSLV has submitted its report and the anomaly has been detected.
BRICS HOSA 2026
India also hosted the BRICS Heads of Space Agencies (HOSA) 2026 meeting in Bengaluru, bringing together the heads and senior representatives of the space agencies of the BRICS member countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
According to ISRO, the BRICS Heads of Space Agencies meeting resulted in significant progress on structural and operational frameworks of space cooperation, including an amendment to the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation Agreement to include new BRICS members.
In addition, Terms of Reference for the proposed BRICS Space Council were discussed in detail, marking a continued commitment to strengthening institutional collaboration among the member nations.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France, a letter of intent was signed between ISRO and the French space agency CNES concerning cooperation in the field of microgravity research and human space exploration.
ISRO has also demonstrated a successful hot test of the Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at a thrust level of 175 Tonne at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri.
The space agency said that the test proceeded as predicted and all the engine parameters were as expected. This test is said to have provided sufficient confidence towards the demonstration of steady-state performance of the engine powerhead at 200 tonne (100%) thrust level and also achieved a major milestone in the indigenous development of Semicryogenic engines.
Vikram-1 first test flight
India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket is all set for its maiden launch.
Private space launch company Skyroot Aerospace has announced that the launch window for Vikram-1’s first test flight named Misison Aagaman is between July 12 and August 4.
The Test Flight-1 is targeted for no earlier than July 12, subject to the completion of assembly and testing operations at the launch site in Satish Dhwan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and weather, safety, range clearance and that the window extends till August 4.
IN-SPACe opens up LVM3
Further opening the doors for the private sector, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has issued an Expression of Interest for Transfer of Technology for ISRO’s heaviest rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3). Making the announcement, IN-SPACe said that it took the initiative for the technology transfer of LVM3 for end-to-end realisation, operation and commercialisation of launch vehicles by a suitable private industry.
To ensure seamless technology absorption, infrastructural and hand-holding support will be provided by ISRO for a of 42 months or until realization and launch of two LVM3 vehicles by the selected party, whichever is earlier.
IN-SPACe also selected three Indian space startups, Astrobase Space Technologies, SatSure Analytics India and TM2SPACE Technologies as the first set of Indian Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) for funding under its Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) Scheme.
TAF is designed to support Indian industry in absorbing, adapting, and commercialising advanced space technologies, thereby bridging the gap between research and operational deployment.
The three startups were selected for financial support to develop transformative space technologies aimed at strengthening India’s indigenous capabilities and enhancing its global competitiveness in the space sector.
Bellatrix teams up with South Korea’s TelePIX
Space start-up Bellatrix Aerospace will help South Korean space company TelePIX in an upcoming Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellite mission.
The TelePIX and Bellatrix will custom develop a VLEO Earth observation satellite around the Choulette payload, aimed at securing high-quality geospatial data.
Under the partnership, the TelePIX’s high-resolution wide-swath optical payload Chouette will be integrated with Bellatrix Aerospace’s VLEO satellite platform powered by Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP). The companies are targeting a 2028 launch.
Red Balloon Aerospace Private Limited, India’s first near-space startup and Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory, an Armenia-based private space research organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance near-space test campaigns, payload-platform integration, atmospheric research, and onboard AI development.
Arunachal’s glacial lakes are shifting: satellite study
A private Geospatial Intelligence firm in a study on Glacial Lakes in Arunachal Pradesh has revealed changing behaviour of glacial lakes in the state.
A satellite-based assessment by Suhora Technologies has revealed changing behaviour of five potentially dangerous glacial lakes in the Mago Chu Basin.
Using high-resolution multi-sensor imagery from ICEYE, PlanetScope and LISS-IV, Suhora conducted a comparative analysis of five potentially dangerous glacial lakes, identified by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in the high-risk category. The assessment examined changes in their spatial extent and current condition through satellite observations spanning 2016 to June 2026.
hemanth.cs@thehindu.co.in
Published – July 03, 2026 02:05 pm IST
